Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1887-02-18
French Spoiiatiun Claims.

Notwithstanding the fact that the French
sPoilsjGOa claims aros 10 the latter part OF the
as. ceatury, aud constitute, accordIns tn Cha>
>annsrs report, the nations srs, national debt
aud slihoasa 'hsfe has never b~en s class OF
riAims more thoroughly reutllated, masy per
sons labor under misappreheasoa as TO wha,
they are, and evsa th1s. tho are inierrsr.i are
gnoranI Of the pre.cat condition OF aS.rs
A. some hye Thousand citlEeas Of M.rylAni are
interested 10 toe extent Of about s.. 900 900.
the following brief history Of she claims sad
statement OF their present sts;a. is gitea:
The French between l-9G All lsul. com
United certain deprrdsiions oa 4 Anestc4a CON
nrrce--se Esng aud coademotux vessels upon
various prelsasss The Pr-sti-ng issus4 pre-.
-lamttlon declaring TIA, The cit'1ens i-spoh-
ed should hare rcpsrstloa. ia the f.!lh OF
his merchants o. America coaliuuea 10 ship
rarg0es 10 The eArlt part Of tn, century a
commission was sent 10 france hf the Iniiea
States 10 obtain 10 ienaiiy, aud the govern
meat Of Frsace admitted its responsibility TO
the cliiErns Of the cated States a ad profrs.ri
Is readiness 10 pay ne d,nsses, provided the
[ uItsd States paid a claim OF some $500 600.
600 claimed by reason Of The breach OF ths ,rr..
'i's Of the tni'ed Sssies - - con-
or the los. Sustained From h.t time 10 this
he United States have failed io paw, aIihoug h
thirty aIne rrports 10 favor % the justice of
these claims have beea n air BY sgeh nrn IS
Holmes. Chambers LiTlax>1oae, Webster, Per,
slas. Cashlns Ca3sts, CIsrtsn Hsngta, Crit
leatrn. Sgsnarr aua ofkrrs Al l.sf, in 1884,
aAytns passed this ordeal Of legislative action
Anl crrriEei is sancGion in every instance s1ncr
lS-2 the claims we're by Ia- act Of that 1 tFe
eirrrc4 20 the Court Of Cislns ~aer. ain
,uts fsd their cairns Ia Ny. lssd the
Court Of Cain. decided The lex .hty of these
rI.ims and the responsibility Of the Cn,ed
States far them \ r-hesrIag -. a,kei ior
,ud obtained hy The Uaiiei Slat.. and after
trgameut the court affirmed il. ruling Cadtr
be terms Of the act the Court OF Claims was
repaired TO report is hniing to Congrrs on
ne second Moudsv ia Urcrmhrr Of each year.
X would br Supposed That the only lang TO be
tons nov a4s TO appropriate the moa.v 10 psy
such claim. as b ld bern proved and rst.hltiaed
n The court selected ~ nc government 10 pass
% the question In ths lloase he matter vas
r-ferred TO he Judiciary committee. Of which
Nr Rtn3n ph Tucker - ChalrBca Mr. Tucker
has tailed 10 make any report, and II IS usder
stood proposes 10 report an amend nenI TO the
nili Of lssI, referring the matter 10 the Sa'
creme Court As The Judiciary committee b IS
aut one day left 10 the House. Mr. Tucker oy
his retention has presen,ed any leg islatlou 90
this subject a. il Is nov impossible 10 consider
.ay such bill la fact. the action OF the com
niitee means refusal 10 make spsroprIa-
uou. Mr. Tucker voted Tor the oil referring Z
th. claimants TO the Court OF Claims. The &C
ton Of The judiciary committee i. considered
particularly harsh, as II has prevented the
claimants from sscrriain;ng " be lher II IS still
the wish OF Congress 10 postpone lhe payment
Of lust claim, 10 which some 81. 600 people,
descendants of The original Claimants, are inter
ested Aa adverse report would have enabled
the House TO pas upon this, but the virtual
choking Of the whole matter By retention in
committee, aud the suggestion OF aa amendment
10 legislation referring 10 the Supreme Court,
which amendment cannot pass, is c-uel dis
appointment To see treasury depleted by
the passage of pension bills, many OF them q n
outrage, while these creditors Of the United
Stats whose property was sacrificed TO enable
the gosernment TO escape obligations which
4mouBted 10 tweary times much AS they
now claim, would seem TO justify the imputa-
ton that the government of the United Sts,es
IS not actuAted by high sense of justice.